The big picture
The Texas Education Agency on Aug. 16 released the STAAR scores, which were the first set of scores to come out since the state’s new redesign for the test, passed in 2019, went into effect in the 2022-23 school year.
Scores for school districts were released later than normal as a result of the redesign, as well as adjustments being made to the state’s overall accountability system, according to the TEA. The new A-F accountability scores for school districts will come out in September.
In terms of the percentage of students who passed, CCISD overall outperformed both its region and the state in nearly every STAAR test given out in the spring, according to the data.
Meanwhile, the district’s results were more mixed when compared to last year but the district saw student passing rates increase in more exams than it saw dips, the data shows.
The breakdown
CCISD in every category outside of the Spanish-based STAAR outperformed both the state and the region average.
CCISD sits in Region 4, which includes 48 school districts throughout eight counties, according to the region’s website.
Compared to the region average of the number of students who approached grade level in each exam, also considered passing, CCISD had on average 9.5% more students approach grade level on the the math STAAR across grades 3-8 than the region, according to the data. For reading, that number sat at about 8.8%.
Those numbers were similar for end-of-course passing rates, as the district saw about 9.2% more of its students approach grade level on Algebra 1, biology, English 1 and 2, and U.S. history compared to the region, the data shows.
Those numbers are similar when compared to the state as well, according to the data.
CCISD saw a higher rate of students pass a number of different tests in the first official year of the redesign when compared to last year, including all of the end-of-course exams, according to the data.
Less students passed fourth and fifth grade reading, fifth and eighth grade science, and eighth grade social studies.
Meanwhile, more students passed the math exams at every grade level except for sixth grade, which remained the same from last year, according to the data.
In an Aug. 16 news release, the TEA noted the state’s results for reading and math remain unchanged compared to last year and noted “significant effects of the pandemic still linger” in math. More emergent bilingual students passed in both subjects.
What they’re saying
CCISD officials said Aug. 17 the district is waiting on its accountability ratings, which are set to be released in August and at this point had no specific comment on the STAAR results. Elaina Polsen, chief communications officer for CCISD, said in early August that the district doesn’t consider the STAAR the core of their accountability for students.
Instead, they rely on a number of different accountability tools, including the STAAR, and opt against teaching directly to the STAAR, Polsen said in August.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said he recommended parents look at the STAAR report card for their own individual children.
“Teachers across Texas continue to work with passion and skill to help students learn,” Morath said in the release. “This year’s results show the efforts of our educators continue to deliver improved results for students.”
